Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with each council of governments, to determine each region's existing and projected housing need, as provided. Existing law requires each council of governments, or delegate subregion as applicable, to develop and adopt a methodology for distributing the existing and projected regional housing need to cities, counties, and cities and counties within the region or within the subregion, as provided. Existing law also requires each council of governments and delegate subregion, as applicable, to adopt a final allocation of regional housing needs to each local government in the region or subregion, where applicable, and the department, based on that adopted methodology. Existing law requires that the housing element of a county's or city's general plan include, among other things, a quantification of the locality's existing and projected housing needs for all income levels, which must include the locality's share of the regional housing need, as provided. Existing law authorizes a local government within the same county as a federally recognized Native American tribe to enter into a voluntary agreement with a tribe to allow new tribal housing development projects to count toward the locality's share of the regional housing needs allocation if certain conditions are met. This bill would authorize a local government, as defined, to enter into a voluntary agreement with another local government to allow new housing development projects to count toward each locality's share of the regional housing needs allocation if certain conditions are met, including that the project includes affordable housing units for very low and lower income households.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the PUC to establish reasonable average and maximum target energization time periods, as defined, and a procedure for customers to report energization delays to the PUC, as provided. Existing law requires the PUC to require an electrical corporation to take remedial actions necessary to achieve the PUC's targets. This bill would require the PUC to require each electrical corporation to meet energization timelines or targets established pursuant to the above-described provisions or by PUC order. The bill would require the PUC to impose a penalty if an electrical corporation fails to meet an energization timeline or target approved or required by the PUC, as provided. This bill would require the PUC to designate an infrastructure-constrained energization area based on objective criteria, including limited distribution or transmission infrastructure relative to available electrical capacity or projected load growth, inland or desert geography, and extended energization timelines. The bill would require the PUC to adopt rules authorizing over-the-fence transactions within infrastructure-constrained energization areas when an electrical corporation cannot reasonably meet energization targets and other specific conditions are met, as specified. The bill would require the PUC, in coordination with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) and local jurisdictions, to establish procedures to facilitate expedited development of electrical generation and energy storage facilities in infrastructure-constrained energization areas, as specified. The bill would require the PUC, in coordination with the Energy Commission, the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, and local jurisdictions, to establish procedures to facilitate expedited permitting, siting, and construction of electrical infrastructure owned or operated by an electrical corporation within infrastructure-constrained energization areas, as specified. The bill would require the PUC and the Energy Commission to coordinate with, and advocate before, the Independent System Operator (ISO) for expedited review and prioritization of projects in infrastructure-constrained energization areas, as specified. Existing law establishes the ISO as a nonprofit, public benefit corporation to ensure efficient use and reliable operation of the transmission grid and to manage the transmission grid and related energy markets, as specified. This bill would require the ISO to consider regional economic development needs, infrastructure constraints, and statewide policy objectives when conducting transmission planning and interconnection processes. The bill would require the ISO seek to streamline review and approval processes for projects located within infrastructure-constrained energization areas, as specified, and would require the ISO to annually report to the PUC and the Legislature on transmission and interconnection constraints affecting infrastructure-constrained energization areas. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. This bill would exempt from the requirements of CEQA the approval of an electrical generation or energy storage project located within an infrastructure-constrained energization area if specific conditions are met, as provided. The bill would require the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to develop guidelines for the implementation of these provisions. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a project would qualify for this exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because certain of the above-described provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a PUC action implementing the above-described provisions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.
Existing law, the Office to Housing Conversion Act, beginning July 1, 2026, deems an adaptive reuse project a use by right in all zones, regardless of the zoning of the site, and subject to a streamlined, ministerial review process, if the project meets specified requirements. Existing law defines an "adaptive reuse project" as the retrofitting and repurposing of an existing building to create new residential or mixed uses including office conversion projects and excludes from that definition, among other things, the retrofitting and repurposing of any building that is within an industrial zone that does not permit residential uses. Existing law prohibits an adaptive reuse project from being permitted in an industrial zone, as defined, that does not permit residential uses. This bill would revise the above-described prohibition to specify an adaptive reuse project is not permitted on a site where the existing primary use is classified as a high-hazard (Group H) occupancy under Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, as it read on January 1, 2025. The bill would also revise the definition of an "adaptive reuse project" to exclude the retrofitting and repurposing of any building whose primary existing use is a high-hazard (Group H) occupancy under Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, as it read on January 1, 2025. By expanding eligibility for streamlined, ministerial review of adaptive reuse projects, and therefore expanding the duties of the local government, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The Planning and Zoning Law requires a city or county to adopt a general plan for land use development of the city or county that includes, among other elements, a housing element. That law requires the housing element to include, among other things, an identification and analysis of existing and projected housing needs. That law requires the city or county to provide by April 1 of each year an annual report to, among other entities, the Department of Housing and Community Development that includes, among other specified information, the number of units of housing demolished and new units of housing that have been issued a completed entitlement, a building permit, or a certificate of occupancy. This bill would additionally require the city or county to include in the annual report the number of suite-style student housing quarters, as determined by the department. By requiring a city or county to include additional information in the annual report, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of dentists by the Dental Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires an applicant for licensure to meet specified requirements, including, among others, furnishing satisfactory evidence of having graduated from a dental college approved by the board or by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (CODA) . Prior law provided for the approval of foreign dental schools by the board. Beginning January 1, 2024, existing law requires foreign dental schools seeking approval by the board to complete the international consultative and accreditation process with CODA or a comparable accrediting body approved by the board. Notwithstanding that requirement, existing law maintained the approval of any foreign dental schools whose program was renewed by the board prior to January 1, 2020, through any date between January 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026, through that renewal date. This bill would, instead, maintain the approval of a foreign dental school whose program was approved by the board prior to January 1, 2020, if that school applied for accreditation by an accrediting body, or CODA, on or before January 31, 2026, while that accreditation process is ongoing, as specified. The bill would require the foreign dental school to, commencing with January 1, 2027, and every 6 months thereafter, provide an update to the board on the status of the foreign dental school's accreditation application. The bill would authorize the board to terminate the maintained approval of a foreign dental school for failure to submit that update, as specified. Existing law makes a graduate of a foreign dental school whose program was approved by the board prior to January 1, 2020, through any date before January 1, 2024, who enrolled in the program prior to January 1, 2020, eligible for licensure, as specified. This bill would, instead, deem a graduate of a foreign dental school that was approved at the time of the graduate's enrollment to have graduated from an approved dental school for purposes of the act, regardless of whether the foreign dental school's approval expired before the graduate's graduation. The bill would make a graduate of a foreign dental school with maintained approval pursuant to the bill's provisions who enrolled in the school on or after July 1, 2026, eligible for licensure under the act. The bill would make related conforming changes and would make findings and declarations related to the history of, and need for, foreign dental schools.
Existing law, the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999, creates the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program within the University of California and authorizes the university to establish a spinal cord injury research fund, independent of the State Treasury, to accept public and private funds for purposes of spinal cord injury research, as specified. This bill would appropriate $5,000,000 from the General Fund to the spinal cord injury research fund authorized by the above act, to be spent at a rate of $1,000,000 per year, without regard to fiscal year, commencing with the 2026–27 fiscal year. Existing law, the California Stem Cell Research, Treatments, and Cures Bond Act of 2020, added by initiative measure enacted by the voters by Proposition 14 at the November 3, 2020, statewide general election, authorizes the state to sell a specified amount in general obligations bonds primarily for the purposes of stem cell research and the development of new medical treatments. If Proposition 14 funding is obtained for the purpose of funding a spinal cord injury research project, as provided, this bill would authorize the university to deposit those funds in an established specified spinal cord injury research fund. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 grants a consumer various rights with respect to personal information that is collected or sold by a business, as defined, including the right to direct a business that sells or shares personal information about the consumer to third parties not to sell or share the consumer's personal information, as specified. The California Financial Information Privacy Act prohibits a financial institution from selling, sharing, transferring, or otherwise disclosing nonpublic personal information to or with any nonaffiliated third parties without the explicit prior consent of the consumer to whom the nonpublic personal information relates, as prescribed. This bill would prohibit a person from selling to a third party personal information of a mortgage applicant that was collected by the person during the mortgage application process.
Existing law, the Local Agency Public Construction Act, sets forth the requirements for competitive bidding on various types of contracts awarded by local agencies. Under existing law, a municipal water district and a sanitation district, when letting a contract for $35,000 or more, is required to let the contract to the lowest responsible bidder. This bill would increase that threshold dollar amount to $220,000. The bill would require the Controller, commencing January 1, 2028, to adjust that amount annually to reflect the percentage change, as specified, and publish the adjusted amount on its internet website.
Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed by, and funded pursuant to, federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law, the Budget Act of 2025, appropriates funds to the department to create a comprehensive hospital value strategy to advance access to high-quality inpatient and outpatient hospital services, financially incentivize appropriate care delivery, and improve health outcomes for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. In developing the comprehensive hospital value strategy described above, this bill would require the department to engage with relevant stakeholders with firsthand experience, including, but not limited to, hospitals, cities, counties, cities and counties, organizations representing these groups, and other affected stakeholders as the department deems necessary. The bill would require the department to ensure that the comprehensive hospital value strategy includes a focus on rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, and public hospitals.
Existing law authorizes the court to grant pretrial diversion to a defendant diagnosed with a mental disorder if the defendant satisfies certain eligibility requirements and if the court determines that the defendant is suitable for diversion. Existing law provides that a defendant is eligible for diversion if they have been diagnosed with certain mental disorders and the court finds that the mental disorder was a significant factor in the commission of the charged offense, unless there is clear and convincing evidence that the disorder was not a motivating, causal, or contributing factor to the defendant's involvement in the alleged offense. Existing law excludes a defendant from diversion for specified charged offenses, including, among others, murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape, or continuous sexual abuse of a child, as specified. Existing law prohibits a person from being tried or adjudged to punishment while that person is mentally incompetent, establishes a process by which a defendant's mental competency is evaluated, and requires a court, before ordering a defendant to be committed to the State Department of State Hospitals or other treatment facility, to hear and determine whether the defendant lacks the capacity to make decisions regarding the administration of antipsychotic medication, as specified. This bill would revise the eligibility requirement by prohibiting the court from finding the defendant eligible solely based on the defendant's diagnosis of a mental disorder and would additionally require the court to find that the defendant is not mentally incompetent. The bill would require the defendant, in order to be eligible, to provide a written diagnosis of a mental disorder, from within the preceding 2 years, to the court and the prosecution, as specified. The bill would additionally exclude a defendant from diversion if they were charged with theft or an attempted theft offense, if the crime was carried out in a manner demonstrating planning, sophistication, or professionalism. The bill would also, unless the parties stipulate to defendant's placement in diversion, prohibit placement if the defendant has been charged with a violent felony, as specified, or certain felony offenses involving domestic violence. The bill would remove the court's authority to grant diversion or other forms of treatment when a defendant is mentally incompetent. Existing law prohibits a person subject to specified protective orders from owning a firearm or ammunition. Existing law requires a person subject to those orders to relinquish any firearms or ammunition they own. This bill would authorize the court, for a defendant charged with a crime involving domestic violence that has completed mental health diversion, to issue an order, for up to 10 years, restraining the defendant from contact with the victim, as specified. The bill would additionally require an individual subject to a protective order through the above-described provisions to relinquish their firearms or ammunition. The California Constitution entitles the victim of a crime to restitution. Existing law requires the court in each criminal case to order a convicted defendant to pay full restitution to the victim and a separate restitution fine, as specified. This bill would require that the court order restitution to the victim or victims if a defendant participates in a diversion program. This bill would make other conforming changes.
Existing law, the Nursing Practice Act, establishes the Board of Registered Nursing to license and regulate the practice of nursing. Existing law requires the board to establish a Nurse Practitioner Advisory Committee to advise and make recommendations to the board on all matters relating to nurse practitioners, and specifies that the committee shall consist of 4 qualified nurse practitioners, 2 physicians and surgeons, and one public member. This bill would instead specify that the committee shall consist of 5 qualified nurse practitioners, 3 physicians and surgeons, and 2 public members.
Existing law, the California Financing Law, generally regulates the business of finance lenders and brokers and prohibits any person from engaging in those businesses without obtaining a license from the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation. Existing law also imposes various requirements on licensees who offer or sell commercial loans, as defined. Existing law prohibits a person that receives compensation in connection with a referral of a commercial loan from making a materially false or misleading statement or representation to a borrower about the terms or conditions of a prospective loan or from engaging in various other deceptive and unfair acts. A willful violation of the California Financing Law is a crime, except as specified. This bill would prohibit a financial institution from engaging in unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices in the use of mortgage trigger lead information, defined to include certain consumer credit information related to a real estate-secured loan application. The bill would provide that a violation of these provisions occurs if the financial institution takes various acts, including, among others, failing to clearly and conspicuously disclose to the consumer, at the initial point of contact, that the financial institution is not affiliated with the consumer's original lender or broker. The bill would make a violation of these provisions an unlawful, unfair, or deceptive business practice under specified law. The bill would authorize the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation, and local prosecutors to enforce this section. The bill also would authorize a consumer who suffers a violation of these provisions to bring a private right of action for damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney's fees. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
